CPI pledges support to Thirumavalavan's fast

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2009, 05:13 GMT]
Veteran leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI) Tamil Nadu, R. Nallakannu Thursday pledged his party's support to Thirumavalavan's fast-unto-death campaign demanding immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka. Mr. Thirumavalavan blamed the Indian establishment for not asking Sri Lanka to stop war or sending Pranab Mukherjee, the Indian External Affairs Minister to Colombo, as promised. The VCK leader decried the Indian Government's inaction and said that by insulting the demands of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi, New Delhi had in effect insulted the whole Tamil population.
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13 civilians wounded in SLA shelling on Pongkal day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 09:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells targeting civilians who have been moving from other areas of Vanni towards Puthukkudiyiruppu, causing injuries to 13 civilians, initial reports from Puthukkudiyiruppu said. The indiscriminate shelling has targeted Kaiveali settlement in Puthukkudiyiruppu division of Mullaiththeevu district. The bombardment comes on civilian settlement comes on Pongkal Day, a common festival of Tamil identity. The Tamil diaspora has called off Pongkal celebrations.
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SLA intensifies artillery attacks on civilian targets, hospital targeted

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 06:34 GMT]
Many civilians were wounded Tuesday morning when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery guns targeted civilian settlements on all fronts of Vanni. A 38-year-old woman was killed and six wounded around 10:00 a.m., when Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital premises and its environs came under artillery fire. Meanwhile, four civilians, including 2 children of the same family, were killed in Visuvamadu. 2 more civilians were reported killed on Monday in Vaddakkachchi. More than 20 civilians have been wounded so far on Tuesday in the indiscriminate bombardment.
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Lasantha killing, a savage assault on media independence - TNA

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2009, 13:56 GMT]
Condemning the assassination of Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunga, and extending deepest condolence to his family, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a press release issued today said, "Mr. Wickrematunga has been an ardent critic of the incumbent government," and "the manner of the assassination of Mr. Wickrematunga bears the same hallmarks as the manner of the assassination of the much respected late TNA parliamentarian Hon. N. Raviraj. The TNA has little doubt that Mr. Wickrematunga was targeted by those who were embarrassed by his exposure of the truth and their excesses of high office."
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Civilians trapped in SLA artillery barrage

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2009, 11:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells hit civilian settlements in Vaddakkachchi, killing a 56-year-old father and caused injuries to his 16-year-old son. Meanwhile, a 76-year-old elderly man residing in an elderly home sustained injuries Friday night after he returned home unable to reach Tharmapuram as Kaddaikkaadu Road (Vaddakkachchi - Tharmapuram Road) was continuously targeted by the shelling. In the meantime another male was killed in SLA shelling at Chu'ndikku'lam on Friday.
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IFT calls for redoubling of effort to support Eelam Tamils

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 January 2009, 12:47 GMT]
Accusing the International Community of attempting to "wean Tamil people, both in the Tamil homeland and the Diaspora, away from the LTTE," by advocating the need for a political solution while Kilinochchi is under occupation, International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a Geneva-based umbrella group of expatriate Tamil organizations, in a press release issued today "called upon over 70 million strong world Tamil community to redouble it support to the Eelam Tamils for their struggle to create the State of Tamil Eelam," and interated "that the future State of Tamil Eelam will negotiate with the Sinhala State of Sri Lanka to create a mutually acceptable relationship whereby both Peoples pool their sovereignties to associate with each other for purposes of mutual benefit."
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STF commandos abduct 2 youths in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2009, 09:32 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) commandos abducted Saturday around 7:00 a.m two granite workers in Karadiyanaa’ru police division in Batticaloa district, according to persons who had witnessed the two youths being forcibly taken away by STF commandos. When the relatives of the youths had asked for the whereabouts of the two youths at the STF camp, the commandos had told that they had not brought in anyone.
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TNA accuses Colombo of war crimes

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2009, 21:06 GMT]
Describing several recent escalation in incidents where Sri Lanka Armed Forces have targetted Tamil civilian during festive days between Christmas and Thaipongal, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a press release issued today, said that the "stringent economic, food and medical embargos on the war affected areas," ..."are not only War Crimes in contravention of the Geneva Conventions but are also a part of a policy of Genocide that the Sri Lankan State has been carrying out against the Tamil people." The release also noted with disappointment of the silence of the international community "whilst the Genocide of the Tamil people is taking place," and continuing military assistance of the international states to the Sri Lankan State "using various pretexts."
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'Annals of history'

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2009, 19:44 GMT]
The message of "veiled racism" in Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s remarks Friday in his telecast address announcing the capture of Ki'linochchi town, betrayed the true intentions of him and his ilk, camouflaged in saintly wordings against separatism, terrorism, racism, North-South war etc, to hoodwink the outside world, writes a regular academic commentator to TamilNet from Colombo. "Unfortunately, those who claim to be at the helm of the international community, even though very well aware of the impossibility of the Sri Lankan state to satisfy Tamil aspirations, refuse to acknowledge the logic and legitimacy behind the ethnonational demand of Tamils to have political sovereignty to save themselves from genocide," he further writes.
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SL parliament to debate emergency extension motion Tuesday

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2009, 16:18 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government led by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse is to table a motion seeking the extension of the State of Emergency for another month when the Sri Lanka's parliament meets on January 6 Tuesday. Since August 12, 2005 the country is being governed under the State of Emergency extended every month by the parliament, sources said.
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SLA shelling blocks ambulances, 2 injured in convoy

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 January 2009, 09:56 GMT]
Two persons who accompanied with the convoy of ambulances from Puthukkudiruppu to Vavuniyaa were wounded when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells at Mannaaka'ndal Friday morning, shortly after two ambulances left Puthukkudiyiruppu, medical authorities said. Two ambulances with 13 civilians with serious injuries, being transferred from Tharmapuram and Puthukkudiyiruppu hospitals to Vavuniyaa hospital, after getting clearance through the ICRC, were forced to turn back as the SLA stepped up artillery fire on the road.
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5 killed, 28 wounded in SLAF attacks on Murasumoaddai for second day

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2009, 09:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers hit civilian settlements three times in Murasumoaddai in Vanni killing civilians and causing injuries to many on Thursday. At least 5 civilians have been reported dead so far by the medical staff at Tharmpuram hospital. 28 civilians, including five children, were admitted at the hospital after the attacks. Civilians were still trapped in the site as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery barrage on the settlement after the indiscriminate air strike. 10 civilians have been killed and more than 50 wounded within 30 hours on Wednesday and Thursday in Murasumoaddai.
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5 civilians killed, 16 wounded in air strikes, hospital reports blood shortage

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 December 2008, 04:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers attacked a civilian settlement near Murugananda school in Murasumoaddai on Paranthan - Mullaiththeevu Road killing two females of a family and a male on the spot. Another man, who was seriously wounded, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. 16 civilians, including a couple, were wounded. The attack has targeted three civilian settlements in Murasumoaddai Wednesday around 8:00 a.m. The indiscriminate bombardment on fleeing civilians, Internally Displaced Person's huts, close to the ICRC Karaichchi branch office, a school, temple and agricultural lands aims at instilling fear at the minds of the civilians in Vanni, observers said.
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Second Tamil youth shot dead in Moneragala

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2008, 09:13 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead a young Tamil trader in a rubber estate located in Paalaaru in Buttala in Moneragala district Wednesday night. He was the second Tamil youth shot dead by unidentified men in Moneragala district within two days, civil sources said.
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Tamil trader shot dead in Buttala

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2008, 13:06 GMT]
Unidentified armed men arriving in a motorbike shot dead a young Tamil trader in Buttala in Moneragala district Monday night. The assassins shot the trader while the victim was inside his shop and fled from the scene, according to sources in Buttala.
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Rajapaksa government rejects UNP request to summon parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2008, 05:39 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance government led by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Tuesday rejected an appeal made by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to summon the parliament immediately before the end of the year which is in recess to hold discussion on the current fuel crisis following the order of the SL Supreme Court.
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UNP urges government to summon parliament immediately

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 December 2008, 16:29 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), in a letter sent to the SL Prime Minister Ratnasri Wickremanayake has urged him to take immediate steps to summon the Sri Lankan parliament under Section 16 of the Standing Order immediately before the end of the year to discuss the critical situation that prevails in the country following the government's failure to obey the order of the Supreme Court in fuel sale.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 December 2008, 05:06 GMT]
Unidentified armed persons shot dead a Tamil civilian Saturday night in Vavuniyaa police division. His body was recovered near a cemetery along Nelukulam-Koomaangkulam road Sunday morning with gunshot injuries in his head. The victim has been identified as Seevaratnam Pushparajah, 36, a recruitment agent persons for foreign employment opportunities, sources said.
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Former EROS parliamentarian passes away in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 December 2008, 00:03 GMT]
Sivapragasam Ratnarajah, former Member of Parliament for Trincomalee district, passed away after brief illness last Thursday. His funeral was held Sunday in Trincomalee Hindu Cemetery with traditional Saiva rites.
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HR Day, 60th Anniversary of UDHR, observed in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 December 2008, 17:13 GMT]
“There are people in Jaffna who ask whether it is necessary to celebrate these days when human rights in Jaffna peninsula is violated with impunity and one cannot slight these questions,” K. Ganesh, Jaffna Government Agent (GA), participating as the chief guest, said in an event held Thursday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Human Rights Day in Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) Jaffna office, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna HRC Coordinating Officer K. Sivarajasingam presided at the event in which important officials including Jaffna District Additional Director of Education, V. T. Selvaratnam and the chief editors of the Tamil dailies in Jaffna participated.
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